I’ve been thinking about porches, particularly front porches, for a long time. I grew up in the heart of the village of Manlius and we always had a front porch on which to eat breakfast, play Stone Teacher, and watch thunderstorms. We waited on porches for cars to get stuck in the snow so we could push them out. My grandmother had a porch in Albany. You could see all the way to the end of the block through the sides of over a dozen open porches. I could sit on Nana’s porch late into the evening, listening to the grown-ups talk more openly in the semi-darkness than they would in daylight. None of the porches of my childhood were enclosed, not even screened. Somehow they functioned quite well without these “improvements.”

The Memorial Day Parade began at the American Legion hall on the corner of James and Nichols. Coffee and donuts were available at 8:00, the opening ceremony was at 8:30, and the parade got underway at 9:00. The Neighborhood Watch Groups participated with a kazoo band and the wearing of funny hats.

These are standards by which all development proposals for James St. in Eastwood are evaluated. They are often referred to as “the guidelines.”

“The regulations set forth in this Article establish a specialized district for the Eastwood portion of James Street and are intended to protect and enhance the traditional neighborhood main street character of the area. A principal aim of the regulations is to maintain and stimulate a pedestrian friendly environment while encouraging business and civic growth.”